Tail or signal light construction



F b, 17, 1925. J. AfADLER TAIL o'n SIGNAL LIGHT CONSTRUCTION Filed June 5, 1924 15 nated.

Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES 7 1,526,732 PATENT OFFICE.

Join: A. ADLER, or NORTH MILWAUKEE,- WISCONSIN.

TAIL on SIGNAL m oonsrrworron. 3

Application filed June5, 1924 Serial No. 718,110. I

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that L'JQHN A. ADLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaulree and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tail or Signal Light Constructions, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

- This invention relates to tail or signal light. constructions and has for a particular object thereof the construction of such do vices so that aberration of rays is elimi' This aberration of rays as directed from signal lights, and particularlythose signal lights employing a stencilagainst a transparent sheet through which the light rays are directed, causes merging and blurring of the characters of the signal so as ,ijtorender them undecipherable and, is' accordingly the chief argument against con-- struction of this typeof signal. "Hitherto.

the construction of reflectors employed in.

these signals has been such that this ab- I erration is in no .way corrected.

Animportant object of this invention is the provision of a reflectonin combination with a casing, the combination being such that all of the light rays from an illuminating element disposed between the reflector and the opposite wall of the casing are directed toward such wall of the casing at right angles to the wall and accordingly 5 have no tendency to merge and blur.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which.

may be as simply and readily produced as other reflectors.employed in headlights at present.

' A still further object of the invention is the provision of a reflector for use in elo1igated narrow signal boxes which is in the form of a section of a circular parabolically.

curved reflector which includes the principal vertex of parabolic curvaturea 3 These and other. objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a signal constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure/2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken approximately centrally thereof:

1 Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional View showingthe manner of securing the various parts of the signal in position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a rectangular casing having'one open side which is closed by a removable cover plate 11. lvithin the casing is arranged a reflector 12 facing this removable wall or cover and this reflector is inthe form of a section of a circular parabolically curved reflector including the principal vertex of parabolic curva ture. At this vertex the rear wall 13 of the casing is tangential to the rear face of the reflector and is secured to the reflector by means of lock nuts 14 mounted. upon a socket 15 which is coaxial with the reflector and which is adapted for the reception of a lighting globe 16. The width of the section of the reflector employed is slightly less than the depth of the casin and the edges of this reflector are provided with outstanding stiffening flanges 17 perpendicular to the walls of the casing and directed toward these walls. Those portionsof the casing lying within the limit defined by the open side of the casing and the flange 17 are coated, as at 18, with a coating of light absorbing material such as a dull black paint.

The casing has secured thereto at points spaced inwardly from the open side thereof and paralleling these open sides angle braces or lugs 19 one angle of which is secured to the wall of the casing by rivets or the like,

as at 20, and the other wall of which stands out from the casing to provide a ledge. One of these lugs is arranged upon each wall of "the casing,the two lugs at the end walls 21. of the casing being' spaced inwardly from the edge of the open side of the casing a dis-' tance equal to the thickness of the material from which the reflector isformed. The end edges of the reflector are provided With outstanding flanges 22 abutting the lugs of the end walls. Abutting the flanges 22 and the ren'iaining lugs 19 is framework 23 formed from stiif sheet metal and which serves as a support for a similarly shaped gasket or padding member 23.

Against the outer surface of the padding member is arranged a lens plate 24 which ma be in the form of a thin sheet of cellulo'i of the desired color or which maybe of glass if desired. Against the outer surarcctangular f face of the lens sheet is arrangedan indicator or stencil plate which is perforated to provide indicia 26 through which the lens plate 24: is exposed. The cover 11 is formed with openings 27 exposing the indicia ofthe indicator plate. This cover is secured in po sition by means of screws 28 directed thorngh aligned openings formed in the cover, indicator plate, lens plate,'gasket and frame and threaded into openings formed in the lugs 19. Any suitable means can be employed for securing the signal box in adjusted position. In the present instance I have shown brackets 29 attached to the signal box and having openings for the reception of securing elements whereby the brackets may. be attached to a suitable support;

' pass directly through the indicia openings 26 but these rays are not dazzling and will not cause sulficient aberration to render the signature illegible. Of the remaining rays those striking the .reflector will, of course be directedback against the cover at right angles to the cover and being parallel as they from the casing will not tend to merge at any point whatever; Those rays striking the walls of the casing lying between the reflectorflange 17 and the cover plate will be absorbed or deadened by the coating 18 to such an extent as to render them innoxious. It will furthermore he noted that by the construction hcreinbeforc set forth a signal is provided which may be readily constructed from stamping and in which all parts are capable of construction by this method with the exception of the.

formation of the lugs 19 which may be any common stock angle iron or may be cast from aluminum as desired.

It will furthermore be obvious that this and I accordingly do not limit myself to.

such specific structure as hereinbefore set forth except as hereinatfer claimed.

I claim 1. In a signal construction of the type de- [scribed and .in combination, a rectangular the lens bearing wall, the walls of the casing at the sides-of the reflector section being coated with a light absorbing material.

2. In combination with a rectangular casing having a lens bearing wall, a reflector within the casing having its ends terminating immediately adjacent the lens bearing wall and parabolically curved .intermediatc its ends whereby thelens bearing wall, the reflector and the Walls of the casing between the reflector and the lens bearing wall form a light compartment, those portions of the casing forming walls of the light compartment being'interiorly coated with a light absorbing material.

3. In combination with a rectangular casing having a lens bearing wall. a reflector within the casing having its ends terinii'iating immediately adjacent the lens bearing wall and arabolically curved intermediate its ends wiereby the lens bearing wall, the reflector and the walls of the casing bctwccn the reflector and the lens bearing wall form a light compartment, those portions of the casing forming wallsof the light coi'npartment being interiorly coated with a light absorbing material, said reflector being parabolically curved at right angles to its end to end axis.

4. In combination with a rectangular casing having a lens bearing wall. a reflector within the casing having its ends terminating immediately adjacent the lens bearing wall and parabolically curved intermediate its ends whereby the lens bearing wall, the v reflector and the walls of the casing between the reflector and the lens bearing wall form a light compartment, those portions ol the casing forming walls of t-helight comp'artment being interiorly coated. with a light absorbing material, the longitudinal edges oi' F the reflector being providcd with still'cning flanges directed towardthe last named portions of the casing.

In testimony whereof Ihcreunto a'llix my signature. 

